Full Service
Equine Podiatry

Serving the San Francisco Bay
Area Counties

Just as no two people have the exact same
foot-protection needs, I offer the correct and most ethical hoof
care solution for every horse--barefoot or not.

Providing service with
attention to detail that is dependable, caring, ethical and
professional in all phases of trimming and horseshoeing.

Farrier Art offers full service equine podiatry, not just
barefoot trimming. 47% of the horses I service are
trimmed. However, I have the skill to provide more
foot protection and mitigate lameness problems by applying
shoes meant to solve lameness issues. Some
horses get by well without shoes--depending on how fast
their feet grow, how abrasive and rocky the ground is, and
how often they are ridden. I recognize that all horses have
individual hoof care needs based on conformation, breed, age,
gaits, athletic demands, and shoeing restrictions for show
horses.

I highly recommend that you do not use a so-called "barefoot
trimmer", especially if they have only taken a course by Dr. Hiltrud Strasser, a German veterinarian. Henry Heymering, an AFA
Certified Journeyman Farrier, has written an article in the
Anvil Magazine,The
Strasser Method Trim Considered,
with which I greatly concur.Some horses can go barefoot, and some horses can't,
and it's that simple. Anyone who tells you different
either does not have the skill to distinguish when trimming
alone is not in the best interests of the horse, is most
likely completely ignorant of the many proven ways to
enhance horses' wellbeing, or they have never bothered to
seek
training at an established and reputable farrier school.
In other words, they don't even know how much they don't
know about maintaining soundness in horses.

Full Service Equine Podiatry

The
most common reasons people give for spending money on horse
maintenance are recreation and relaxation to reduce stress, its
value in promoting character training in children, and the challenge
of competition.

Horsemanship
Background: As a young man, I had thousands of hours of riding
experience on a working 22,000 acre (deeded) cattle ranch and
125,000 leased acres BLM and Forrest Service land in the San Luis
Valley, Colorado. I have shod thousands of horses throughout
my career since 1972.

To the left:
A happy client, Deborah Shuetz-Jones, with her son,
Hunter, and her winning 1st place Saddlebred, Thank
Heaven, (Jessie).